Post-hole digger.



No. 819,791. PATENTED MAY 8, 1906.

0. K. NESTE.l

POST HOLE DIGGBR.

APPLICATION FILED SEPTJQ, 1905.

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UNITED STATES 'PATENT OFFICE. OTTO K. NESTE, OF MADISON TOWNSHIP, WINNESHIEK COUNTY, IOWA.

PosT-Ho|.r: BIGGER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

.ratenteu May 8, 1906.

Application led September 19,1905. Serial No. 279,104.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, OTTO K. NEs'rE, residin in Madison township, county of Winneshiek, .and State of Iowa, have invented a new and Improved Post-Hole Digger, of which the-followin is a specification.

My invention re ates to improvements in that type of digging implements having a stationary penetrating b ade secured upon the lower end of a handle and an adjustable blade or scoopmember that coacts with the other blade and is adapted to be closed in over the lower end of the other blade whereby to form a receiver for pulling the earth out of the hole during the operation of diggingl and primarily my invention seeks to rovi e an lmplement of the character state of a simple and inexpensive nature which can be readily manipulated and which will effectivel serve its intended purposes.

lt y invention consists in certain details of construction and combination of arts hereinafter fully described specifical y pointed out-in the appendedciaims, and Illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view which illustrates the mannerin which my digger is used. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same, showing the'blades in position of bein 'forced into the ground. Fi 3 is a similar view showing the adjustable lade swun over the other blade to form a receiver or lrt-holder. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken on the line 4 4 o? Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a perspective of the two b ade or scoop members detached.

In the drawings, in which like letters indicate like parts in all the figures, a designates a pole or handle-bar of suitable length, on the lower end of which, at opposite sides thereof, are bolted or otherwise made fast a pair of angle-iron brackets b b, to whose lower ends is ri ldly secured a semicircular stout metal ban c, to which the semicircular or concaved blade or scoop member d is fixedl secured and which extends down from said and in a lane arallel with the handle-bar, and said lade llas also the opposite blade e presently again referred to) has the lower en curved to easily penetrate the ground.

The blade e, which is shaped the same as the blade d, is adjustably mounted with respect to the other blade and is of a slightlygreater'diameter, so that when it is moved 1n toward the blade d its lower edges will close over the opposing edges of the said blade d. The blade or scoop member e is firmly se- -firmly grips the two cured by riveting or otherwise to a stout metal strap or band f, the opposite ends of which are extended to form side arms f pro- 'ected into the concavity of the op osite blade and then bent inwardly towar each other to form a bifurcated bearing j, adapted to receive the lower end of the actuatingrod g, ulcrumed at said lower end u on the stud h, that passes through the ro -eye g and the apertured bearing j' By referring now more particularly to Fig. 4it will be noticed that while the stationary blade or scoop is primarily braced and held firmly to its position by the band to which it is attached and by reason of the latter being firmly riveted to the lower ends of the brackets b b the biurcated ends of the other band are of such length that when the two blades are in parallel plane-that is, in fposition for digging-the said bracket ends orm an additional brace for the upper end of the stationa blade by bearing against the inner face o the band c, and by reason thereof the strain on the pivot-bolt k, that passes through the brackets b b, the bands c and f, a'nd t e lower end of the handle is also reduced since it is distributed to both sides thereof. To provide for the swingin adjustment of the lade e and maintain a c ose bearing with the band c, the ends of the band f are curved on an arc with thel bolt k as the center. The actuating-rod g extends up along one side of the bar a and connects with a bell-crank lever j, fulcrumed on the handle a, and Whose long arm or handle j extends up to the top or handle end of the bar a, as shown.

From the foregoing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawin s, the construction and the manner in w -ch my invention is used will be readily apparent.

By reason of the peculiar construction and arrangement of the arts as stated and shown I have provide a compact and durable digger devlce. In ractice the operator andle members together, which firmly holds the two blades in arallel vertical lanes and in position to be orcibly entered into the ground, and owing to the manner in which the upper ends of the two blades are secured and braced relatively to each other and the handle-bar the danger of the blades spreading or bucklin outwardly is reduced to the minimum. o lift out the dirt, the blade e is swung inwardly with itslowex' end closed over the other blade, which operation is effected by simply pulling IOO the handle end of the bell-crank lever to the position shown in Fig. 3.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a post-hole digger of the character I described, the combination with the handlebar, the angle-brackets secured to the lower ends thereof, the curved band fixedly secured to the lower ends of the said brackets and the scoop or blade iXedly secured to the said band of a second curved band pivot ally supported on the lower ends of the handle-bar and the angle-brackets, the blade member Xedly secured to the pivoted band, said pivoted band having its Jfree ends eX- tended up to the inner face of the Jiixedlyheld band, a pivot carried by said ends, a bell-crank lever on the upper end of the handle-bar, and a link-rod connected at its lower end to the pivot member on the outer ends of the pivoted band, and at the upper end to the bell-crank lever, substantially as shown and for the purposes described.

2. The combination with the handle-bar,

siefei the angle-brackets secured to the opposite sides of its lower end, the curved band fixedly secured to the lower ends of the said brackets and the blade or scoop member fixedly secured to the said fixedly-held band; of the second curved band having side arms pivotally mounted on the lower ends of the brackets, said arms having their ends bent inwardly toward each other to form a bifurcated bearing, a pivot-pin mounted on said bifurcated bearing, the outer end of said side arms being disposed in close relation to the inner face of the Xedly-held band and curved on Ian arc with the fulcrum ofthe said pivoted band as the center, the blade ixedly secured to the pivoted band, the bell-crank lever on the band and the link connection that joins the bell-crank lever and the bearing on the ends ofthe pivoted band, substantially as shown and described.

OTTO K. NESTE.

Witnesses:

W. F. BAKER, O. C. JOHNSON. 

